Published: Thursday, April 22, 2010

Staff Reports
Madison Magazine

Five local Destination Imagination teams from Madison schools will compete in the 2010 DI Global Finals at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville from May 26-30.

Bob Jones High School, Discovery Middle School, and Liberty Middle School teams all earned first place honors at the Alabama state DI tournament on Marcy 27. This qualified them to compete at this prestigious creative problem-solving event which involves thousands of students from all over the world.

The teams are now trying to raise $22,000 needed to send them to the Global Finals.

For the second year in a row, Madison schools have the highest number of teams from Alabama going to Globals. These students have melded language, engineering and design, and teamwork into 8-minute creative presentations that are completely student-designed.

For the first time, Alabama also has a participant in the community service-based challenge called ‘Project Outreach’.

Project Outreach teams had to identify and attempt to solve a problem that they identified in their own community. The Bob Jones PO team focused on the lack of a venue or outlet for student artistic talent in the Madison area. After first exploring the possibility of renovating an empty building in Madison, the team has decided to partner with the Valley YMCA to help design and promote the teen area planned for the new Hogan Family Center YMCA being built in Madison.

On Saturday, May 8, this team will be hosting a creative and performing arts festival called “MAYDAY!” at Insanity Skate Park in Madison from 4-10 p.m. Armbands will cost $10 and include admission to all events and concerts planned for the day. The 4-6 p.m. time frame will feature a “Madison’s KIDS Got Talent” contest for 6-12 year olds.

Anyone interested in being a festival performer, visual arts demonstrator, or talent show entrant should contact Robin Dauma at rdauma@madisoncity.k12.al.us for more details.